Time-limit annunciator.



M. WELSH.

TIME LIMIT ANNUNUIATOR.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 10, 1909.

961,276. Patented June 14,1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

Patented June 14,1910.

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M. WELSH.

TIME LIMIT ANNUNCIATOE.

APPLIOATION FILED MAY 10I 1909.

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MORRIS WELSH, OF QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIG-NOR OF ONE-HALF TO PERLEY R. GLASS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, Monms IVELSH, a citi zen of the United States, residing at Quincy, in the county of Norfolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improvement in Tim-eLimit Annunciators, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawing, is a specification, like characters 011 the drawing representing like parts.

This invention relates to what is herein termed a time limit annunciator, or a device for giving a sensory annunciation of the elapse of a predetermined period of time. Preferably this annunciation takes place by the ringing of a gong or hell.

The device is designed for any of the enumerable cases where it is desired to have the attention called to the elapse of a predetermined period of time. Examples of such uses are foundin hospitals or in the sick-room where medicines must be given at regular periods; in hotel or domestic kitchens where various articles of food are to be cooked for certain lengths of time; in the playing of games where time limits are provided, and in many other cases.

The device of this invention may be arranged to announce the expiration of any desired limit of time, and also to announce the expiration of succeeding periods of time; and it is also arranged to keep track of simultaneously various periods of time and announce their several expirations, the number of such periods being controlled by the number of duplications of the main por tion of the apparatus. v

The nature of the invention will more fully appear from the accompanying description and drawings and will be particularly pointed out in the claims.

The drawings illustrate a preferred form of an apparatus embodying the invention.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a front view of two units of the apparatus with the unit on the left having its face-plate removed to expose the interior mechanism. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail view of an auxiliary mechanism concerned with the actuation of the expiration of successive periods of time. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the unit shown at the left of Fig. l with the side plate of the casing removed. Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the same mechanism, partially in cross section.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 10, 1909.

TIME-LIMIT ANNUNCIATOR.

Patented June 14, 1910.

Serial No. 495,034.

The mechanism of the device in the specific form illustrated is inclosed in a rectangular box or casing, having the faceplate A, back-plate A top-plate A bottom-plate A", and side-plates A A, and each such box or casing contains the mechanism for indicating the elapse of a predetermined period of time. hen it is desired to provide for the indication of the elapse of various periods of time running simultaneously these boxes or casings are preferably duplicated, as indicated in Fig. 1, but its separation into separate boxes or casings is an immaterial feature of the mechanism and the mechanism can be otherwise arranged as desired.

In the form shown a horizontal shaft B runs through each unit of mechanism, box or casing, and this shaft is suitably driven, as by means of the bevel gears B B from a vertical shaft B which has a uniform rotation. The rotation of the shaft B may, of course, be caused in any desired manner, but will usually result from connection with ordinary clock mechanism.

Each unit of mechanism is provided with a shaft C driven from the shaft B by a train of gears C and according to the number or proportion of the gears C the speed of the shaft C is controlled, so that the extent of the periods of time capable of being indicated by the particular unit of mechanism is governed, and may run from fractions of seconds up to hours and even longer periods, if desired.

In the construction illustrated in Fig. 1 the mechanism is assumed to be arranged for indicating the elapse of periods not exceeding twenty minutes.

As each unit of mechanism is in the preferred form illustrated of the same construction it will be necessary to describe but one in detail. It will be understood, also, that the mechanism illustrated is but a preferred form of the invention, and that the invention in its broader aspects may be embodied in various specific forms.

The faceplate is provided with a suitable graduated plate D, the graduations upon which correspond to the periods of time to be indicated by the particular unit of the device, and as shown in Fig. 1 these periods are illustrated as periods of twenty minutes or less. This graduated plate is shown as supported by a projection D from the faceplate, and is arranged behind a pane of glass D suitably held in place by a frame 1%, attached by set-screws D to the faceplate.

A ratchet-bar E with its teeth inclined downwardly is located back of the face-plate and rigidly supported in a suitable manner, as by a screw connection E to the side-plate A, and a similar screw connection at the upper end to a lug A projecting from the top-plate A This ratchet-bar E is grooved longitudinally on its rear face, and a U- shaped slide E is mounted to move longitudinally of the ratchetbar and is provided with a pin E sliding in the groove thereof. This slide E carries pivotally mounted thereon a pawl E normally held by a spring E in engagement with the ratchet teeth of the bar E. The slide E carries also a pointer or indicator E bent so as to allow its point to move up and down over the graduations on the graduated plate D.

A grasshopper spring F is connected at F to the bottomplate A and at F to the slide E and normally acts to elevate the slide when the pawl E is out of engagement with the ratchet teeth on the bar E. A gong H is mounted upon the top-plate A and a striker H is carried by the slide E so that upon the release of the pawl E from the ratchet teeth of the bar E the grasshopper spring F throws the slide S upwardly cansing the striker H to sound the gong H.

A toothed rack G is arranged to slide parallel to the ratchet-bar E, and is herein shown as mounted to slide against the sideplate A being held and guided in place by a guide-bar G secured by screws G to the side-plate A, the said toothed rack G and guide-bar Gr being provided with interlocking grooves and projections.

The toothed rack Gr carries a cross-bar G and a second pointer or indicator G is at tached to this cross-bar and is bent to present its pointing or indicating end in front of the graduated plate to move up and down over the graduations thereof, and this pointer or indicator G is bent to extend around and in front of the pointer or indicator E The toothed rack G, with the indicator G is arranged after being set at its lowermost position to be moved upward with a uniform motion controlled by the time or clock mechanism, so that the indicator G travels over the graduations of the plate during the time indicated thereby.

The means illustrated for securing this upward movement of the indicator G are as follows. A toothed segment K is pivoted concentrically of the shaft 0 on the sideplate A, a hollow journal K projecting from the plate A being provided for that purpose. This segment engages the toothed rack G. A helical spring L is wound about a barrel L arranged concentric to the sh aft C, and screwed on to a hollow projection L from the side-plate A concentric with the shaft C. This spring L is rigidly attached at one end, L to the side-plate A, and at the other end to an arm L projecting from the segment K.

A ratchet wheel M is carried and driven by the shaft C, and a pawl M engaging said ratchet wheel is pivotally mounted at M upon the segment K, and yieldingly held by a spring M" in engagement with the teeth of the ratchet wheel M. These teeth are so inclined as to prevent the upward rotation of the segment K to elevate the toothed rack G faster than the rotation of the shaft C. It will thus be seen that the elevation of the toothed rack G is caused by the helical spring L and not by the driving element, or by the power obtained from the shaft B. Thus the power for operating the mechanism of this invention is contained in itself, and is not a drain upon the time or eloclr mechanism, so that no matter how many units of the indicating mechanism are used each contains the power for its own movement and all that is required of the time or clock mechanism is to control the expenditure of that power.

The mechanism illustrated as a means for setting and releasing the indicators is as follows. A spindle N of polygonal crossseetion passes through a small gear U held against the top-plate A by a retaining plate N and is rotarily mounted at its lower end N* in the cross-bar G. The crossbar G" extends above a projection E from the slide E previously described.

A pawl releasing frame is pivotally mount ed at its upper end at O in the top-plate A and at its lower end 0 in the bottom-plate A, and carries a gear 0 at its upper end engaging the gear L This releasing frame comprises a bar 0*, extending parallel to the path of movement of the slide E and adjacent to a pin E carried thereby. The releasing frame also comprises acurved bar 0 concentric with the shaft C and extending adjacent to the path of movement of the end of the pawl M It will thus be seen that upon the swinging of the releasing frame the pawl IE will be released from the ratchet. teeth of the bar E, and the pawl M will be released from the ratchet teeth of the ratchet wheel M. In the operation of the mechanism the releasing frame is automatically turned by a cam-like projection or continnation K of the segment K, which at the end of its movement comes into contact with the curved bar and is manually turned by means of the milled head N of the spindle N.

The operation of the mechanism thus described will be apparent. lVhen it is desired to set the mechanism the milled head N is grasped and the spindle N depressed, thus carrying down the cross-bar G with its connected indicator G and since the cross-bar G engages the projection E of the slide E that slide, with its connected indicator E is also carried down, the indicator E being directly behind the indicator G During the downward movement of the spindle N the rack G turns the segment K and the pawl M slides over the ratchet teeth of the ratchet wheel M, and at the same time the pawl E slides over the ratchet teeth of the ratchet bar E, the springs L and F being thus placed under increased tension. By this movement of the spindle N the two indicators are set at the graduation indicating the length of time which has to elapse before the annunciation takes place. As illustrated at the right-hand of Fig. 1 they are set for ten minutes. If, for any reason, in pushing down the spindle N the indicators are carried too far they may be returned to the desired position by giving a slight rotary movement to the spindle N, thus causing the rotation of the releasing frame which releases the pawls 1W and E and allows the indicators to be moved upwardly. As soon as the indicators are set at the proper position the indicator G begins to move upwardly, the spring L acting to turn the segment K, which in turn elevates the rack Gr, carrying the cross-bar G to which the indicator G is connected, and the time or clock mechanism by means of its connections with the ratchet wheel 1W1 controlling the speed of the upward movement by the engagement of the ratchet wheel M with the pawl M hen the indicator G has arrived at its upper limit, indicated at the right-hand side of Fig. 1 as the Zero point of the graduated plate, the cam-like projection K of the segment K will have come into engagement with the curved bar 0 of the releasing frame and thereupon releasing the pawl E from engagement with the ratchet bar E; the grasshopper spring F at once acts to throw up the slide S, and the striker H comes in contact with the gong H, thus announcing the expiration of the period of time for which the device was set.

It will be noted that the indicator E car ried by the slide E remains at the lowermost position or the position to which it was set until the elapse of the predetermined period of time so that a simple glance at the graduated plate enables the observer to note the time for which the length of the period of time for which the device is set and the amount of time that has elapsed, at any moment.

Sometimes it is desirable to announce the expiration of intermediate successive periods of time during the movement of the indicators; as for example, the expiration of each five minute period during the movement of the indicator. This result may be secured by the means illustrated particularly in Fig. 2, where G is a continuation of the rackbar G, and is provided at one face with ratchet teeth G. A gong R is pivotally mounted at R upon a projection R from the top-plate A A striker R is mounted upon a pin or shaft R carried by another projection R from the top-plate A, and a coiled spring R tends to move the striker R toward the gong R. An arm R connected to the striker R extends with its end R in contact with the ratchet teeth G. The ratchet teeth G are so spaced that the bar G moves a distance equal to the distance between the ratchet teeth during the required successive periods; that is to say, if it is desired to indicate successive live minute periods the bar G will move each five minutes a distance equal to the distance between adjacent ratchet teeth. It will thus be seen that upon the upward movement of the bar G the striker will come into contact with the gong at each period indicated by a ratchet tooth. The pivoting of the gong R at R enables it to be thrown out of operation so that this mechanism if attached to any unit need not be used save when desired.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A time limit annunciator comprising a uniformly driven element, an external source of power for uniformly driving said element, a plate graduated in time units, an indicator adapted to move over said graduations, an independent motive device for moving the indicator backward over the gradu ations and connections between said driven element and said indicator for governing the backward movement of the indicator from the driven element.

2. A time limit annunciator comprising a uniformly driven element, an external source of power for uniformly driving said element, a plate graduated in time units, an indicator adapted to move over said graduations, an independent motive device for moving the indicator backward over the graduations, connections between said driven element and said indicator for governing the backward movement of the indicator from the driven element and means controlled by said motive device for giving a sensory indication of the return of said indicator to a predetermined point.

3. A time limit annunciator comprising a uniformly driven element, an external source of power for uniformly driving said element, a plate graduated in time units, two indicators adapted to move over said graduations, means whereby said indicators may be set forward to the desired graduation, an independent motive device for moving one of said indicators backward over the graduations and connections between said driven element and said indicator for governing the backward movement of the indi cator from the driven element.

4. A, time limit annunciator comprising a uniformly driven element, an external source of power for uniformly driving said element, a plate graduated in time units, two indicators adapted to move over said graduations, means whereby said indicators may be set forward to the desired graduation, an independent motive device for moving one of said indicators backward over the graduations, connections between said driven element and said indicator for governing the backward movement of the indicator from the driven element and means controlled by said motive device for giving a sensory indication of the return of said indicator to a predetermined point.

5. A time limit annunciator comprising a uniformly driven element, an external source of power for uniformly driving said element, a plate graduated in time units, two indicators adapted to move over said graduations, means whereby said indicators may be set forward to the desired graduation, an independent motive device for moving one of said indicators backward over the graduations, connections between said driven element and said indicator for governing the backward movement of the indicator from the driven element and means controlled by said motive device and set into operation upon the return of said indicator to a predetermined point for sounding an alarm.

6. A time limit annunciator, comprising a uniformly driven element, a plate graduated in time units, two indicators adapted to move over said graduations, means whereby said indicators may be set forward to the desired graduation, connections between said driven element and one of said indicators for governing the movement of said indicator backward, means controlled by the parts thus governed from said driven element and set into operation upon the return of said indicator to a predetermined point for releasing and returning the second indicator to said point and for simultaneously sounding an alarm.

7. A time limit annunciator comprising a uniformly driven element, an external source of power for uniformly driving said element, a plate graduated in time units, two indicators, means whereby said indicators may be set forward to the desired graduation, motive devices independent of each other and of said source of power for moving said indicators backward, connections between said driven element and one of said indicators for governing the movement of its motive device in moving the indicator backward, and connections for setting into operation the second motive device upon the return of the first indicator to a predetermined point to release and return the second indicator to said point.

8. A time limit annunciator, comprising a uniformly driven element adapted to be operated from a clock mechanism, a plate graduated in time units, two indicators, means whereby said indicators may be set forward to the desired graduation, motive devices for moving said indicators backward over said graduations, connections between said driven element and one of said indicators for governing the movement of its motive device in moving said indicator backward, means actuated upon the return of said indicator to a predetermined point for simultaneously giving an alarm and releasing and returning the second indicator to the said point.

9. A time limit annunciator, comprising a uniformly driven element adapted to be operated from a clock mechanism, a plate graduated in time units, an indicator adapted to move over said graduations, a rack bar carrying said indicator, a segmental gear engaging said rack-bar, a spring for moving said gear and rack bar in one direction, a ratchet connection between said gear and said driven element for securing the uniform movement of said rack bar in said direction and for allowing the free movement of said rack bar in the opposite direction, a spring for moving the second indicator in the first mentioned direction, means for retaining the second indicator in position at the desired graduation, and means for releasing said second indicator upon the return of the first indicator to a predetermined point.

10. A time limit annunciator, comprising a uniformly driven element adapted to be operated from a clock mechanism, a plate graduated in time units, two indicators adapted to move over said graduations, a reciprocatory rack bar carrying the first indicator, a segmental gear engaging said rack bar, a spring for moving said gear and rack bar in one direction, a ratchet connection between said gear and said driven element for securing the uniform movement of said rack bar in said direction and for allowing the free movement of said ack bar in the opposite direction, a spring for moving the second indicator in the first mentioned direction, means for retaining the second indicator in position at the desired graduation, and means for releasing said second indicator upon the return of the first indicator to a predetermined point.

11. A time limit annunciator, comprising a uniformly driven element adapted to be operated from a clock mechanism, a plate graduated in time units, an indicator adapted to move over said graduations, a rack bar carrying said indicator, a segmental gear engaging said rack bar, a spring for moving said gear and rack bar in one direction,

a ratchet connection between said gear and said driven element for securing the uniform movement of said rack bar in said direction and for allowing the free movement of said rack bar in the opposite direction, a spring for moving the second inclicator in the first mentioned direction, means for retaining the second indicator in position at the desired graduation, means for releasing said second indicator upon the return of the first indicator to a predetermined point, and means operated by said second indicator when released for sounding an alarm.

12. A time limit annunciator, comprising a uniformly driven element adapted to be operated from a clock mechanism, a plate graduated in time units, a rack bar movable parallel to said plate and carrying an indicator, a spring for moving said rack bar upwardly, a ratchet bar mounted parallel to said plate, a slide mounted on said ratchet bar and carrying a second indicator, a pawl carried by said slide and adapted to retain the slide at any given position, a second spring for moving said slide upwardly when released by the pawl, a segmental gear ongaging said rack bar, ratchet connections be tween said gear and said driven element for governing the movement of the rack bar up wardly but allowing its free movement downwardly, and means carried by said gear for releasing said pawl.

13. A time limit annunciator, comprising a uniformly driven element adapted to be operated from a clock mechanism, a plate graduated in time units, a rack bar movable parallel to said plate and carrying an indicator, a spring for moving said rack bar upwardly, a ratchet bar mounted parallel to said plate, a slide mounted on said ratchet bar and carrying a second indicator, a pawl carried by said slide and adapted to retain the slide at any given position, a second spring for moving said slide upwardly when released by the pawl, a segmental gear engaging said rack bar, ratchet connections between said gear and said driven element for governing the movement of the rack bar upwardly but allowing its free movement downwardly, and means carried by said gear for releasing said pawl, a bell, a striker carried by said slide and adapted to contact with said bell upon the release of said pawl to sound an alarm.

14. A time limit annunciator, comprising a uniformly driven element adapted to be operated from a clock mechanism, a plate graduated in time units, a rack bar movable parallel to said plate and carrying an indicator, a spring for moving said rack bar upwardly, a ratchet bar mounted parallel to said plate, a slide mounted on said ratchet bar and carrying a second indicator, a pawl carried by said slide and adapted to retain the slide at any given position, a second spring for moving said slide upwardly when released by the pawl, a segmental gear engaging said rack bar, ratchet connections between said gear and said driven element for governing the movement of the rack bar upwardly but allowing its free movement downwardly, means carried by said gear for releasing said pawl, and means for manually moving said rack bar.

15. A time limit annunciator, comprising a uniformly driven element adapted to be operated from a clock mechanism, a plate graduated in tlme units, a rack bar movable parallel to said plate and carrying an indicator, a spring for moving said rack bar upwardly, a ratchet bar mounted parallel to said plate, a slide mounted on said ratchet bar and carrying a second indicator, a pawl carried by said slide and adapted to retain the slide at any given position, a second spring for moving said slide upwardly when released by the pawl, a segmental gear engaging said rack bar, ratchet connections between said gear and said driven element for governing the movement of the rack bar upwardly but allowing its free movement downwardly, means carried by said gear for releasing said pawl, and means for manually simultaneously releasing said pawl and said ratchet connections whereby the indicators may be set to any desired position.

In testimony-whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

MORRIS WELSH.

Witnesses:

MABEL PARTELOW, THOMAS J. DRUMMOND. 

